Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Don’t release evidence, mall told



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By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, January 10  2012 at  22:00
IN SUMMARY
  • JSC committee probing Deputy CJ’s case tells Village Market managers to keep exhibits until its investigations are done
The Judicial Service Commission has asked the management of the Village Market shopping mall not to release any evidence related to the incident involving Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza until their investigations are complete.
The request was made by the JSC’s committee led by the Rev Samuel Kobia, which is conducting a parallel investigation into allegations that Justice Baraza threatened to shoot Ms Rebecca Kerubo, a security guard at the mall, on New Year’s Eve.
It is understood that the request was made at the end of a meeting between the management of the mall and the committee as it started its investigations on Tuesday morning.
The JSC committee spent about four hours at the shopping mall, with the Rev Kobia later telling the press that the team was familiarising itself with the security set-up there and watching the footage.
“That, together with the information we are going to collect this afternoon and tomorrow we are then going to put together a report which we shall present to the full JSC by Friday,” he said.
The crucial evidence in the case is contained in about 10-minute video footage from the mall’s closed circuit television camera (CCTV).
Those who have seen the footage, including the police, however, said the footage was not reliable and could not be used.
Police have since forwarded their file on the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Keriako Tobiko.
One who spoke to the Nation on Tuesday said there was no gun visible in the footage.
There are 18 CCTV cameras at the mall and two at the entrance manned by Ms Kerubo could have recorded whatever happened.
The footage would have come from a dome camera located on the ceiling of the corridor leading to Bella Donna Pharmacy, which has a clear view of the entrance and part of the parking area.
In the video, Judge Baraza is seen walking in past the security desk and into the chemist, with Ms Kerubo following her on noticing that the judge had walked in without going through the mandatory security check.
Westlands MP Fred Gumo asked the police to make the footage available to TV stations for Kenyans to see what really happened.
“If the police have proof they should make it public for people to know,” Mr Gumo said.
Reported by John Ngirachu, Ashley Lime and Beryl Wambani

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